Hepatitis B: The Real Killer Is Silence

Asian Americans are the most at-risk group for Hepatitis B.
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My friends and family say the amount of worrying I do is unhealthy. But, rest assured, there’s one thing I don’t worry about: getting sick. I don’t bother with ‘flu shots. In fact, I haven’t had the ‘flu, a fever or even a cold since high school. Maybe it has something to do with my daily jogging and green tea-drinking. Whatever the reason, I’m pretty proud of immune system. But I just realized that I shouldn’t get too confident.

That was my immediate reaction. It was unnerving news for me because I was born in Vietnam and came to the US in the early 1990s.

So, I’m very vulnerable. And very embarrassed.

Why did I not know about something so widespread in my ethnic community, until now? Probably because no one really talked about it.

So, I was glad to hear more from Tell Me More’s guest Dr. Jennifer Lee, who chairs the Board of Directors of The Hepatitis B Initiative of Washington, DC. She explained that the Hepatitis B virus is endemic to Asia and parts of Africa, and is spread through mother-to-child transmission, sex and blood transfers. Most people recover from the acute infection, but others develop chronic Hepatitis B and end up dying from it.

Our second guest, Leslie Hsu Oh, had a brother and mother who died from the disease. She wrote a book about her son’s struggle with cancer but never mentioned that he had Hepatitis B – or that she, too, was infected. She tried fighting alone, in silence.

That’s the thing with us, Asians – or at least, with me.

I would rather solve my problems alone, whatever they may be. Sometimes, I say it’s because I don’t want to burden anyone else. But honestly, I’m just trying to save face. I don’t want to seem weak. And sometimes I don’t want to bother explaining things to people who are quick to judge.

But I learned that Hepatitis B can’t be fought alone. You need educators, physicians and others who lend support, without the pity. And it’s crucial for someone of my ethnic background to be tested for the virus. I was vaccinated after coming to America as a kid but I might still be at risk because the vaccine doesn’t help someone who has the virus. I need to find out if I was infected back in Saigon.

So regardless of how healthy I think I am now, being tested will put me in better shape. Ending the mystery of my status – whether I have Hepatitis B or not – will give me one less thing to worry about.

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"Nothing is assumed." That's the unofficial motto of Tell Me More, a Monday-Friday talk show with host Michel Martin. Grounded in lively interviewing and compelling storytelling, the program seeks to present diverse new voices, cross borders, challenge conventional wisdom and discover how other people think. Are you looking for a story you heard on air? They're all available on our program page.